Not So Little Sutton Now Have The Title In Their Sights

Barrow took everyone by surprise by winning the Vanarama National League title in 2019-20, a side in very few tipster’s eyesight that summer.

So who exactly would have had Sutton United down for a championship challenge this time around?

With games in hand, they are now just a point behind leaders Torquay United.

If results go their way they could be sitting on top of the table for the first time this season come 8pm on Saturday.

Unfancied for sure, but fewer still would have had them down to lead the way when they trailed the Gulls by 12 points at the turn of the year.

Dean Keates isn’t as shocked as even the London club’s most hopeful fans probably still are.

He saw it coming, and not even a 4-0 thumping by his side at the Racecourse Ground earlier this season could change his mind about that.

The two teams meet this weekend in an exciting game for the BT Sport cameras.

Dragons boss Keates, who has promotion ambition himself for his club of course, knows exactly how challenging it will be on Saturday.

"It is going to be one heck of a tough game, Sutton are flying," the manager told the Leader.

"They shouldn't be seen as little old Sutton anymore - I honestly believe they will be there or thereabouts for the top two slots at the end of the season.

"There will be no egos from our side going into the game and we are not under-estimating them at all.

"I have no doubt they will be up for us after what we did here,” he added.

"It is going to be a difficult game but we went toe-to-toe with them at the Racecourse. We had to earn the right, we matched their physicality and we came out on top.

"It will be the same again down there as for me they are possibly the strongest team in the division.”

One thing is for sure, the compliments won’t soften Sutton up ahead of the weekend match at Gander Green Lane.

That 4-0 whitewash in north Wales almost seems like it was years ago.

The Londoners go into the reverse fixture having won five games in a row - brushing aside Stockport County, Boreham Wood, Wealdstone, Dagenham and Bromley.

But like their hosts, Wrexham have suffered only one defeat in nine matches.

Last time out they did to Wealdstone what they did to Sutton - sticking four goals past them and look like a side capable of big things.

In Dior Angus they have a champion from last year, and in Kwame Thomas the Welsh club possess a striker bang in form.

For the U’s to get a sixth victory in a row will take another huge effort and manager Matt Gray knows his team have just got to keep on ignoring outside noises.

“We’re in a pretty good place at the moment,” he said.

“We’ve not got too many injuries and we have been outstanding in recent weeks.

“We’ve got players pushing for places too - it’s now about us carrying the form on for as long as possible and see where that takes us.”

He left his assistant manager Jason Goodliffe, a promotion winner with AFC Wimbledon and Stevenage, to talk through the dramatic win over Bromley in midweek.

With the last five minutes looming, they were 2-1 down and about to curse a missed opportunity.

But a late, late show turned things around - and you know what they say about sides who can transform no points into three within the blink of an eye.

“We have to be delighted with Tuesday, even if it took us a little while to get going,” he told SUTV after the brilliant midweek match.

“This league is always difficult when you go behind, but our play was really good and we kept knocking on the door and eventually found the winner.

“The great thing about our boys is that they never get too high when they win and never get too low when we don’t.

“Wrexham beat us 4-0 at their place, but we’ve just got to keep performing like we have been and we’ll see where it takes us.”

PHOTOS: PAUL LOUGHLIN & WREXHAM AFC